Mercedes-Benz Unimog : Best offroader amongst special-purpose vehicles

hanmust · 16th February 2009, 08:18

In awards news, readers of the special-interest magazine OFF ROAD have just named the Mercedes-Benz Unimog off-roader of the year 2009 in the category of "Special-purpose vehicles." This marks the fifth consecutive year the Unimog has taken the award, with the legendary model capturing 42.3 percent of the 44,000 votes tallied. Models the Unimog beat out to take top honors included the Toyota Hiace, the Iveco Daily and the Ford Transit.

To learn more about the OFF ROAD Awards 2009 as well as the Mercedes Unimog, you can find the full details in the official press release below.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Off-road award: The Mercedes-Benz Unimog is the Off-roader of the Year 2009

Readers of the special-interest magazine "OFF ROAD" have voted the Unimog the Off-roader of the Year in the "Special-purpose vehicles" category
Unimog takes first place with an outstanding 42.3 % of readers’ votes

Stuttgart/Munich – For the fifth time in succession, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been voted the best off-road vehicle of the year in the "special-purpose vehicles" category by readers of the special-interest magazine OFF ROAD. The "Off-roader of the Year 2009 – Special-purpose vehicles category" award was made on the basis of a vote covering vehicles in eight categories in the December edition of this venerable Munich-based off-roader magazine. The OFF ROAD obelisk was recently presented during a ceremonial gala evening at the Munich theatre pavilion "Das Schloss". More than 44,000 readers took part in the vote between the 92 vehicles concerned. The Unimog won first place in the special-purpose category with an outstanding 42.3 % of the votes.

The categories for the readers’ vote were "Off-road vehicles", "Luxury off-road vehicles", "Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)", "Luxury SUVs", "Classics", "Pick-ups", "Special-purpose vehicles" and "Crossovers". The Unimog was clearly ahead of the field among the special-purpose vehicles – off-road capable vehicles used to carry loads and goods to remote areas, or as a platform for special-purpose bodies such as firefighting, expedition and military vehicles. Characteristic product attributes such as outstanding off-road capabilities with portal axles, and enormous torsional flexibility combined with great robustness and solidity, were particularly praised.

The all-terrain Unimog series U 3000 to U 5000, which has been produced in Wörth since autumn 2002, is ideal for difficult off-road assignments well away from the beaten track and road. Its main areas of application are with the firefighting services – especially for forest fires – disaster relief services, expedi tions and servicing/maintenance work in areas where access is difficult. Accordingly the Unimog models U 3000, U 4000 and U 5000 ideally complement the vehicles in the U 300 to U 500 series – off-road-capable implement carriers which are mainly encountered working in the municipal services, with municipal contractors, in the construction and energy sectors, in in-company transport and in dual (road/rail) operations. The youngest addition to the Unimog family is the compact Unimog U 20, launched in 2008.

The magazine OFF-ROADhas held its Off-roader of the Year readers’ vote since 1982.

Source: Media.Daimler AG

directinjection · 17th February 2009, 11:07

The bonnet in the pic looks much longer than what the earlier models featured. The older model looked better IMO. Pakistan Army is one of the users of Unimog. Indian Army uses the desi Unimog, the Tata 712 which is much simpler though. It'd be interesting to do a road test and compare the two!

hanmust · 17th February 2009, 19:15

Here is a video related to Unimog:

YouTube - UNIMOG

Parm · 17th February 2009, 21:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanmust

In awards news, readers of the special-interest magazine OFF ROAD have just named the Mercedes-Benz Unimog off-roader of the year 2009 in the category of "Special-purpose vehicles." This marks the fifth consecutive year the Unimog has taken the award, with the legendary model capturing 42.3 percent of the 44,000 votes tallied. Models the Unimog beat out to take top honors included the Toyota Hiace, the Iveco Daily and the Ford Transit.

Toyota Hiace is a 15 seater passenger van, how it was taken into consideration for competing with unimog in an offroad catagory? if you want i can post a photo of toyota hiace!

bottle · 17th February 2009, 21:32

wonder if they meant the hilux

Parm · 17th February 2009, 22:09

i dont understand why was unimog pitted against these non-offoad vehicles and no surprise that it won!

maybe i got it wrong?

SirAlec · 17th February 2009, 23:18

Its funny! I feel its like our bollywood film awards. what ever happened to the rest of 4x4.

vinod_nookala · 17th February 2009, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanmust

Here is a video related to Unimog:

YouTube - UNIMOG

Wonderful video, truly legendary capabilities!!!

Samurai · 18th February 2009, 00:00

I see it has coil over leaf...

4x4addict · 18th February 2009, 02:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parm

i dont understand why was unimog pitted against these non-offoad vehicles and no surprise that it won!

maybe i got it wrong?

Yes Buddy. The pictures you posted is for the Iveco daily out for dinner. Thsi is the one that competes against the unimog.

Iveco Daily 4x4

Also Ford Transit and Toyota Hiace has 4WD versions. Guess the comparison was against commercial 4X4s.

DirtyDan · 18th February 2009, 05:00

I saw a Unimog up in Leh in 2007. The owner had driven it overland to Leh from Germany. It had a camper on the bed complete with bunks, TV and small kitchen. It was a work of art.

It made me wonder what Tata could do with their 4x4 defense trucks like the 407.

DeeDee · 12th February 2011, 15:04

Myself being the proud owner of Unimog and for me for me “Unimog is what Unimog does”. and believe me she never let me down on any of the harshest terrain. been to Karakuram crossed heightest motorable passes (Babusar pass, Burzil pass and Butogah 14200ft) and believe me with only 52horses. twice participated in Mud rally, did some hardcore offroad with some serious beating. did water crossing.

Source: Unimog Principle.
Unimog stands for “Universal-Motor-Gerät” which roughly translated means “UNIversal MOtorized implement machine” (Gerät being the German word for machine or device).
Unimogs are multipurpose, all-terrain, utility vehicles built by Mercedes-Benz. In addition to extreme off-road capabilities, they are designed to be operated in some of the harshest conditions in the world. Unimogs are widely recognized as the most capable off-road vehicles in the world.
The term “Unimog” is a general term that applies to many different vehicles in the same way that “Jeep” or “Land-Rover ” refers to a wide range of vehicles. A 1950′s CJ is a very different vehicle than a 1990′s Grand Cherokee but they are both “Jeeps.”
Some vehicles use elements of the Unimog design. For example, Humvees and Pinzgauers use portal live axles while Land Rover Defenders use an excellent solid axle/coil spring suspension system. Furthermore, many vehicles can be retrofitted with locking differentials, larger tires or better suspensions. However, the Unimog is the only vehicle in the world that incorporates torque tubes, hub reduction, solid axles and coils springs and it is this combination that makes it one of the best off-road vehicles in the world and fundamentally different than other 4x4s. No other vehicle combines all the elements of the Unimog and, as a result, no other vehicle has the capability of a Unimog. Due to their off-road capabilities, Unimogs can be found in jungles, mountains and deserts as military vehicles, fire fighters, expedition campers, and even in competitions like “[COLOR=#25386e]truck trials[/COLOR]” and “[COLOR=#25386e]Dakar Rally[/COLOR]”. In Western Europe, they are commonly used as [COLOR=#25386e]snow ploughs[/COLOR], municipal equipment carriers, agricultural implements, construction equipment and [COLOR=#25386e]road-rail vehicles[/COLOR]. Unimogs can be equipped with front and rear tool mounting brackets and [COLOR=#25386e]hydraulic[/COLOR] connections to allow bucket loaders and hydraulic arms to be used. Most units have a [COLOR=#25386e]power takeoff[/COLOR] (PTO) connection to operate rotary equipment such as snow brooms, [COLOR=#25386e]snow blowers[/COLOR], brush mowers, or stationary [COLOR=#25386e]conveyor belts[/COLOR].

DeeDee · 12th February 2011, 17:50

again in 2010

Off Road Award: Mercedes-Benz Unimog is 2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year

February 3rd, 2010
The OFF ROAD Obelisk award was presented during a special gala evening held at Munich’s “Das Schloss” theatre tent. Over 48,000 votes were cast to select the winners among the 97 vehicles nominated by the organisers. The Unimog was the top-scoring model among the special-purpose vehicles with an outstanding 37.9 % of the readers’ votes.

Off Road Award: Mercedes-Benz Unimog is 2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year: For the sixth time running, readers of "Off Road" magazine have voted the Mercedes-Benz Unimog the year's best cross-country vehicle in the "Special-Purpose Vehicles" category. The Unimog picked up the title of "2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year - Special-Purpose Vehicles Category" after the December issue of the respected Munich-based all-wheel-drive magazine invited readers to vote for a selection of vehicles with off-road capability in a total of eight categories. Unimog - able to get through where others cannot even get in. (Image: Daimler)

The eight categories for which readers where invited to cast their votes were “Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)”, “Luxury SUVs”, “Classics”, “Pick-Ups”, “Special-Purpose Vehicles” and “Crossover Vehicles”. Among the special-purpose vehicles – cross-country vehicles used for transporting loads and cargo in remote areas or as a basis for special bodies used by fire-fighters, expeditions and the military – the Unimog easily led the field. Its signature product characteristics, such as its portal axles which provide outstanding off-road capability and its tremendous torsional flexibility combined with exceptional ruggedness and strength, came in for particular praise.
Produced at the Wörth plant since 2002, the high-mobility U 4000 to U 5000 Unimog range is the natural choice for difficult all-terrain operations far from roads and tracks. Its principal applications are in the domains of fire-fighting (especially in the context of forest fires), disaster relief, expedition transport as well as service and maintenance work in areas where access is difficult. As the saying goes: “Unimog vehicles get through where others cannot even get in”.
The Unimog U 4000 and U 5000 models are therefore the ideal complement to the all-terrain implement carriers which make up the U 300 to U 500 range and which are used principally by public service organisations and municipal contractors as well as in the construction and energy sectors, in intra-plant transport applications and for road/rail work. The latest addition to the Unimog family is the compact U 20, which was launched in 2008.
The legendary G-Class also emerged as a firm favourite with the readers: it was voted into first place in the “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles” category. Another G-Class, in “Edition Pur” guise (produced in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the model series) took second place in the “Classics” category with the same ranking being attained by the M-Class in the “Luxury SUVs” category.
Off-Road magazine has been inviting its readers to vote for the cross-country vehicle of the year since 1982.

16th February 2009, 08:18	#1
hanmust Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Calicut Posts: 2,481 Thanked: 267 Times View My Garage	Mercedes-Benz Unimog : Best offroader amongst special-purpose vehicles In awards news, readers of the special-interest magazine OFF ROAD have just named the Mercedes-Benz Unimog off-roader of the year 2009 in the category of "Special-purpose vehicles." This marks the fifth consecutive year the Unimog has taken the award, with the legendary model capturing 42.3 percent of the 44,000 votes tallied. Models the Unimog beat out to take top honors included the Toyota Hiace, the Iveco Daily and the Ford Transit. To learn more about the OFF ROAD Awards 2009 as well as the Mercedes Unimog, you can find the full details in the official press release below. OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE Off-road award: The Mercedes-Benz Unimog is the Off-roader of the Year 2009 Readers of the special-interest magazine "OFF ROAD" have voted the Unimog the Off-roader of the Year in the "Special-purpose vehicles" category Unimog takes first place with an outstanding 42.3 % of readers’ votes Stuttgart/Munich – For the fifth time in succession, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been voted the best off-road vehicle of the year in the "special-purpose vehicles" category by readers of the special-interest magazine OFF ROAD. The "Off-roader of the Year 2009 – Special-purpose vehicles category" award was made on the basis of a vote covering vehicles in eight categories in the December edition of this venerable Munich-based off-roader magazine. The OFF ROAD obelisk was recently presented during a ceremonial gala evening at the Munich theatre pavilion "Das Schloss". More than 44,000 readers took part in the vote between the 92 vehicles concerned. The Unimog won first place in the special-purpose category with an outstanding 42.3 % of the votes. The categories for the readers’ vote were "Off-road vehicles", "Luxury off-road vehicles", "Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)", "Luxury SUVs", "Classics", "Pick-ups", "Special-purpose vehicles" and "Crossovers". The Unimog was clearly ahead of the field among the special-purpose vehicles – off-road capable vehicles used to carry loads and goods to remote areas, or as a platform for special-purpose bodies such as firefighting, expedition and military vehicles. Characteristic product attributes such as outstanding off-road capabilities with portal axles, and enormous torsional flexibility combined with great robustness and solidity, were particularly praised. The all-terrain Unimog series U 3000 to U 5000, which has been produced in Wörth since autumn 2002, is ideal for difficult off-road assignments well away from the beaten track and road. Its main areas of application are with the firefighting services – especially for forest fires – disaster relief services, expedi tions and servicing/maintenance work in areas where access is difficult. Accordingly the Unimog models U 3000, U 4000 and U 5000 ideally complement the vehicles in the U 300 to U 500 series – off-road-capable implement carriers which are mainly encountered working in the municipal services, with municipal contractors, in the construction and energy sectors, in in-company transport and in dual (road/rail) operations. The youngest addition to the Unimog family is the compact Unimog U 20, launched in 2008. The magazine OFF-ROADhas held its Off-roader of the Year readers’ vote since 1982. Source: Media.Daimler AG Attached Thumbnails
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17th February 2009, 21:32	#5
bottle Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,641 Thanked: 295 Times View My Garage	wonder if they meant the hilux
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17th February 2009, 22:09	#6
Parm Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: in a Toyota! Posts: 2,753 Thanked: 899 Times	i dont understand why was unimog pitted against these non-offoad vehicles and no surprise that it won! maybe i got it wrong? Attached Thumbnails
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17th February 2009, 23:18	#7
SirAlec Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: zxc Posts: 3,393 Thanked: 727 Times	Its funny! I feel its like our bollywood film awards. what ever happened to the rest of 4x4.
	() Thanks

18th February 2009, 00:00	#9
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 26,014 Thanked: 50,156 Times View My Garage	I see it has coil over leaf...
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17th February 2009, 11:07	#2
directinjection Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Faridabad/Delhi Posts: 1,718 Thanked: 830 Times	The bonnet in the pic looks much longer than what the earlier models featured. The older model looked better IMO. Pakistan Army is one of the users of Unimog. Indian Army uses the desi Unimog, the Tata 712 which is much simpler though. It'd be interesting to do a road test and compare the two!
	() Thanks

18th February 2009, 05:00	#11
DirtyDan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Dharamsala, H.P Posts: 2,109 Thanked: 1,671 Times	I saw a Unimog up in Leh in 2007. The owner had driven it overland to Leh from Germany. It had a camper on the bed complete with bunks, TV and small kitchen. It was a work of art. It made me wonder what Tata could do with their 4x4 defense trucks like the 407.
	() Thanks

12th February 2011, 15:04	#12
DeeDee BHPian Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lahore Posts: 26 Thanked: 11 Times	Re: Mercedes-Benz Unimog : Best offroader amongst special-purpose vehicles Myself being the proud owner of Unimog and for me for me “Unimog is what Unimog does”. and believe me she never let me down on any of the harshest terrain. been to Karakuram crossed heightest motorable passes (Babusar pass, Burzil pass and Butogah 14200ft) and believe me with only 52horses. twice participated in Mud rally, did some hardcore offroad with some serious beating. did water crossing. Source: Unimog Principle. Unimog stands for “Universal-Motor-Gerät” which roughly translated means “UNIversal MOtorized implement machine” (Gerät being the German word for machine or device). Unimogs are multipurpose, all-terrain, utility vehicles built by Mercedes-Benz. In addition to extreme off-road capabilities, they are designed to be operated in some of the harshest conditions in the world. Unimogs are widely recognized as the most capable off-road vehicles in the world. The term “Unimog” is a general term that applies to many different vehicles in the same way that “Jeep” or “Land-Rover ” refers to a wide range of vehicles. A 1950′s CJ is a very different vehicle than a 1990′s Grand Cherokee but they are both “Jeeps.” Some vehicles use elements of the Unimog design. For example, Humvees and Pinzgauers use portal live axles while Land Rover Defenders use an excellent solid axle/coil spring suspension system. Furthermore, many vehicles can be retrofitted with locking differentials, larger tires or better suspensions. However, the Unimog is the only vehicle in the world that incorporates torque tubes, hub reduction, solid axles and coils springs and it is this combination that makes it one of the best off-road vehicles in the world and fundamentally different than other 4x4s. No other vehicle combines all the elements of the Unimog and, as a result, no other vehicle has the capability of a Unimog. Due to their off-road capabilities, Unimogs can be found in jungles, mountains and deserts as military vehicles, fire fighters, expedition campers, and even in competitions like “[COLOR=#25386e]truck trials[/COLOR]” and “[COLOR=#25386e]Dakar Rally[/COLOR]”. In Western Europe, they are commonly used as [COLOR=#25386e]snow ploughs[/COLOR], municipal equipment carriers, agricultural implements, construction equipment and [COLOR=#25386e]road-rail vehicles[/COLOR]. Unimogs can be equipped with front and rear tool mounting brackets and [COLOR=#25386e]hydraulic[/COLOR] connections to allow bucket loaders and hydraulic arms to be used. Most units have a [COLOR=#25386e]power takeoff[/COLOR] (PTO) connection to operate rotary equipment such as snow brooms, [COLOR=#25386e]snow blowers[/COLOR], brush mowers, or stationary [COLOR=#25386e]conveyor belts[/COLOR].
	() Thanks

12th February 2011, 17:50	#13
DeeDee BHPian Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Lahore Posts: 26 Thanked: 11 Times	Re: Mercedes-Benz Unimog : Best offroader amongst special-purpose vehicles again in 2010 Off Road Award: Mercedes-Benz Unimog is 2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year February 3rd, 2010 The OFF ROAD Obelisk award was presented during a special gala evening held at Munich’s “Das Schloss” theatre tent. Over 48,000 votes were cast to select the winners among the 97 vehicles nominated by the organisers. The Unimog was the top-scoring model among the special-purpose vehicles with an outstanding 37.9 % of the readers’ votes. Off Road Award: Mercedes-Benz Unimog is 2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year: For the sixth time running, readers of "Off Road" magazine have voted the Mercedes-Benz Unimog the year's best cross-country vehicle in the "Special-Purpose Vehicles" category. The Unimog picked up the title of "2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year - Special-Purpose Vehicles Category" after the December issue of the respected Munich-based all-wheel-drive magazine invited readers to vote for a selection of vehicles with off-road capability in a total of eight categories. Unimog - able to get through where others cannot even get in. (Image: Daimler) The eight categories for which readers where invited to cast their votes were “Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)”, “Luxury SUVs”, “Classics”, “Pick-Ups”, “Special-Purpose Vehicles” and “Crossover Vehicles”. Among the special-purpose vehicles – cross-country vehicles used for transporting loads and cargo in remote areas or as a basis for special bodies used by fire-fighters, expeditions and the military – the Unimog easily led the field. Its signature product characteristics, such as its portal axles which provide outstanding off-road capability and its tremendous torsional flexibility combined with exceptional ruggedness and strength, came in for particular praise. Produced at the Wörth plant since 2002, the high-mobility U 4000 to U 5000 Unimog range is the natural choice for difficult all-terrain operations far from roads and tracks. Its principal applications are in the domains of fire-fighting (especially in the context of forest fires), disaster relief, expedition transport as well as service and maintenance work in areas where access is difficult. As the saying goes: “Unimog vehicles get through where others cannot even get in”. The Unimog U 4000 and U 5000 models are therefore the ideal complement to the all-terrain implement carriers which make up the U 300 to U 500 range and which are used principally by public service organisations and municipal contractors as well as in the construction and energy sectors, in intra-plant transport applications and for road/rail work. The latest addition to the Unimog family is the compact U 20, which was launched in 2008. The legendary G-Class also emerged as a firm favourite with the readers: it was voted into first place in the “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles” category. Another G-Class, in “Edition Pur” guise (produced in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the model series) took second place in the “Classics” category with the same ranking being attained by the M-Class in the “Luxury SUVs” category. Off-Road magazine has been inviting its readers to vote for the cross-country vehicle of the year since 1982.
	() Thanks